Tonight sees the return of Alphas on Syfy — and those superpowered mutants are in deeper trouble than ever. Now that the world knows the truth about their mutant powers, the team has been scattered... but they have to get back together to rescue one of their own.

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We spoke to Azita Ghanizada (Rachel), and Laura Mennell (Nina), and they told us why season two is deeper, edgier... and sexier. Minor spoilers ahead...

We caught up with Azita Ghanizada and Laura Mennell at the Entertainment Weekly party at San Diego Comic Con, and here are the things they told us about the new season.

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Ghanizada says the new season starts with "this explosive action-driven premiere." Dr. Rosen has been locked up, and the rest of the team is falling apart. Rachel has institutionalized herself. They come back together because someone in the team is in trouble, and "we have to go get him." And it gets "really intense," as they go "fast and furious" looking for their team member.

Season two also introduces a new character named Kat (Erin Way), whom Ghanizada describes as "this spunky little blonde who kicks a lot of ass." She adds more attitude to the team, balancing out the more anxious Rachel — but Rachel, too, is being less sensitive and anxious, and more active and dynamic. The episodes are looking sharper, faster, and "sexy," says Ghanizada.

And Rachel's getting a love interest! Ghanizada says Rachel will be dating a character played by Steve Byers, who played Heracles in The Immortals. "It's really terrific to have a big hunk to sniff," says Ghanizada. "Rachel loves sniffing those boys." In fact, when they first meet, Rachel's super-senses "get knocked sideways." She "goes to yell at Bill, and winds up meeting this hunky guy in front of her, and she kind of just stumbles off her heels." And then she tells her new beau that he smells bad — "only Rachel would have to tell a guy he has to use different kinds of soap," laughs Ghanizada. "They end up really connecting."

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Meanwhile, there's a "big betrayal" in the first four or five episodes of the season, where someone on the team betrays Rachel. This splinters the team, and it's a real open question as to whether the team will be put back together again, says Ghanizada.

Meanwhile, Mennell tells us that Nina goes way off the deep end in season two — with Dr. Rosen locked up and the team separated, she goes back to her old bad habits of "pushing" people. And even after the team is reunited she keeps abusing her powers. "She'll go further and further into that, and it'll be more almost like an addiction. Things will get a little different for Nina this year," she adds. "You'll get to see a bit more of a darker underbelly." And the upshot will be that Nina has "a lot of redeeming to do."